NFL

Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview

To kick off week two of the regular season, the Atlanta Falcons are traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Last week, the Falcons were up against the New Orleans Saints in their first game of the regular season. The game was tied at 34 as the clock ran out, but the Falcons managed to get the win in overtime with a final score of 37-34. In their first game of the regular season, the Bengals took on the Baltimore Ravens and emerged victorious with an end score of 23-16. Both the Falcons and the Bengals come into week two with a 1-0 record.

Consistency will be very important for the Falcons on Sunday. The Atlanta Falcons did not win consecutive games at all last season and a lot of that was due to their inconsistencies on the field. Last week, they achieved a franchise-record of 568 yards under the lead of quarterback Matt Ryan and Coach Mike Smith. If they can achieve a repeat of that performance, they will win against the Bengals.

The Bengals are defending a nine-game regular-season home winning streak this Sunday and they are not going to let the Falcons take that from them easily. This year’s defensive line has been called one of the best in the league and they have a number of big playmakers on offense, including Devin Hester, who added five receptions for 99 yards in last week’s game, and running back Giovani Bernard, who caught six balls and had 14 carries last week.

The Falcons are coming into Sunday’s game relatively healthy, with only T Jake Matthews listed on the injury report as sidelined as he recovers from an ankle injury. The Bengals have several players listed as out for Sunday’s game, including RB Rex Burkhead WR Marvin Jones G Trey Hopkins and TE Tyler Eifert. LB Vontaze Burfict is also sidelined as he recovers from a concussion and QB AJ McCarron isn’t slated to return until week 7 due to his injured shoulder.

Latest Line – The Bengals are favored to win by 5.

The Bengals’ discipline will help them find ways to exploit the Falcons’ inconsistencies and come away with the win.